It was never about the arrest warrant

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has withdrawn his threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, acknowledging he lacks the legal authority to act on an International Criminal Court warrant. The article asserts that Mamdani's threat was political theater, aimed at mobilizing anti-Israel activists for Netanyahu's September visit to the UN General Assembly. Since taking office, Mamdani has consistently demonstrated anti-Israel sentiment, including revoking executive orders discouraging boycotts against Israel and rescinding the IHRA's definition of antisemitism. He also declined to condemn anti-Israel protests and vetoed a bill for buffer zones around educational institutions, citing concerns about protests involving Palestinian rights. The author suggests Mamdani's actions are a prelude to large-scale anti-Israel demonstrations during Netanyahu's visit, stating, "The point was never the arrest of Netanyahu. It was the publicity and political mobilization that the shocking threat of arrest would generate."